# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1855 05 08_S145
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Der Lutheraner.
"God's Word and Luther's doctrine shall pass away nevermore." Rev. John ch. 14, v. 6. 7.
Published by the German Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio and other States.
Edited by C. F. W. Walther.
Year 11.  St. Louis, Mo., May 8, 1854.  No. 19.
Terms: Der Lutheraner appears once every two weeks at the yearly subscription price of one dollar for subscribers outside the city, who must pay in advance and bear the postage. — In St. Louis each single number is sold for 5 cents. Only those letters which contain communications for the paper are to be sent to the editor; all others, however, containing business matters, orders, cancellations, money, etc., are to be sent hither under the address: Mr. F. W. Barthel, care of C. F. W. Walther, St. Louis, Mo.

(Sent in by Pastor Wyneken.)

The Distress of the Lutheran Church
since the Death of Luther, and its Deliverance therefrom through
the Religious Peace of Augsburg, concluded on the 25th of September, 1555.
A Historical Contribution
to this year's Celebration of the Jubilee of the Peace
on the coming 25th of September.

Continuation.

The Elector Reconquers His Land. — The Battle of Mühlberg.

It seemed, indeed, as though the courage of the Protestants might rise once more. The Elector turned, full of righteous wrath, against Maurice. First he sent a letter to Maurice's Estates, in which he complained of them that out of old hatred they had provoked and counseled Maurice to his unjust course of action and were to blame for the misery which had broken out through such war and bloodshed over the so closely united Saxon lands. Now he was here with a stately army, to punish them as they deserved, that they might learn to understand what grievous injustice had been done him. "It grieves us sorely," so he closes this manifesto, "that it has come to this, and the misfortune of our common fatherland troubles us. But since you have once begun the game, and the case requires that we ward off unjust violence from our subjects, we would hereby have protested and testified what misery will arise from this, that it is not to be laid to our charge. And if some among you are not guilty of this wicked deed and wish to prove their innocence, they shall have full power to do so, and we will receive them with all favor." And here, where no scruples of conscience stood in the way, things went forward quickly. In a very short time he had not only reconquered his own land, but the lands of Maurice besides, excepting Dresden and Leipzig; indeed he made himself master of Magdeburg and Halberstadt. Leipzig was indeed bombarded and badly handled, but, as men openly said everywhere, was not taken through the fault of the Elector's officers, who for the most part had their families and capital in the city. "Leipzig lies without, Leipzig lies within, therefore Leipzig cannot win Leipzig." That was then the common little song. In general the Elector was surrounded by nothing but traitors, which was well known to him. He therefore often used to say: "I am richer than Christ, for with Him there sat but one traitor at table, but I have many of them at mine." But from another side too, help seemed to be coming to the cause of the Protestants. In Bohemia the old spirit of freedom awoke so mightily, and the consciousness of unity in faith became so strong, that the sufferings and the shameful oppression of their evangelical fellow-believers aroused in them the liveliest sympathy. When King Ferdinand called upon them to make war against the Elector, the lords of the land answered him, appealing to their privileges: "they had no cause to march against the Elector, their religion also agreed in many points with his; moreover the Elector had at all times with all diligence and good will proved himself excellently well against the Turk, the common enemy of Christendom." Yes, they earnestly made ready to march to the Elector's help, sent also to Moravia, which was then subject to the crown of Bohemia, and admonished the Estates that by virtue of the hereditary union existing between them they should take up arms with them and march to their aid in haste, so that their common fatherland might be protected against the godless Sodomitical people, Spaniards and Hussars (Hungarians), whom the Emperor and King was leading into the land.

How would the matter have turned out, if the Elector had thrown himself early enough with his troops into mighty Bohemia? However, the flaming hope of the Protestants was soon to sink down again and give place to the deepest affliction. It is true that Maurice came into the greatest distress: King Ferdinand could not march to his help, he had enough to do with the Bohemians. A band of Imperials under the leadership of the wild Margrave Albert of Brandenburg was surprised at Rochlitz and taken prisoner together with the Margrave. Another, which had invaded Westphalia and Lower Saxony, did indeed take Osnabrück and Minden, but was checked by the bravery and unbroken courage of the Bremen and Hamburg men and besieged Bremen in vain. Maurice had to ask for an armistice, which was also granted him. But now the Emperor himself advanced and